COBWEB and SPIDER, a cobweb, in the centre a spider. Pl. xxxix., n. 10 This is the arms of Cobster.

Cock. In heraldry, the cock is always understood Соск. to be the dunghill cock, unless otherwise expressed, and is represented as Pl. XXXI., n. 14. Azure, three cocks, argent, armed, crested, and jelloped, proper; name, Cokaine.

COCKATRICE, an imaginary monster, which in his wings and legs partakes of the fowl, and in his tail of the snake, Pl. VII., n. 23. Sable, a cockatrice or, combed gules; name, Bothe.

COCKATRICE DISPLAYED, Pl. XXXVIII., n. 26. Sable, a cockatrice displayed argent, crested, membered, and jelloped, gules; name, Buggine.

COCKE, a term used by Leigh for a chess-rook.

in

COGNIZANCE. This term is frequently but very accurately used to signify the crest. Crests were only worn by such as had superior military command, in order that they might be the better distinguished in an engagement, and thereby rally their men, if dispersed ; whereas Cognizances were badges which subordinate officers, and even soldiers, bore on their clothes or arms for distinction-sake; see BADGES.

COLLARED signifies any animal having a collar about his neck.

COLOURS, and metals, when engraved, are known by dots and lines: as OR, the metal gold, is known in engraving by small dots or points; ARGENT, a metal which is white, and signifies silver, is always left plain; GULES, is expressed by lines perpendicular from top to bottom; AZURE, by horizontal lines from side to side; SABLE, by horizontal and perpendicular lines crossing each other; VERT, by hatched lines from right

to left diagonally; PURPURE, by hatched lines from the sinister chief to the dexter base, diagonally. The metals or and argent are allowed precedency to colours. Pl. II.

Some of those fantastic writers of the 15th and 16th centuries, who have thrown such discredit upon the science they intended to support, promulgated the absurd opinion that colours, especially when compounded, were originally intended to signify certain virtues in the bearer, viz., gules with or signifies desire to conquer, with argent revenge, with vert courage in youth, &c.

Some, also, that Gentlemen, Esquires, Knights, and Baronets' arms should be blazoned by metals and colours; Barons, Viscounts, Earls, Marquises, and Dukes, by precious stones; Sovereign Princes, Kings, and Emperors, by planets. Premising that such ideas are purely visionary, and the practice of such rules mere affectation, we subjoin a table illustrating the subject

These distinctions, however, were nowhere used but in England, being justly held in ridicule in all other countries, as a fantastic humour of our nation.

COLUMBINE. This flower is borue in the arms of the

company of Cooks. Pl. xxv., n. 4. Argent, a chevron sable, between three columbines, proper; name, Hall, of Coventry.

COMBATANT, that is to say, fighting, face to face. T. 9, n. 5. Or, lions rampant combatant, gules, langued and armed azure; name, Wycombe.

COMET, or BLAZING STAR, in heraldry, is a star of six points with a tail streaming from it in bend, as the example, Pl. xvIII., n. 7; according to Guillim, is not of an orbicular shape, as other celestial bodies are, but rather dilates in the centre like a hairy bush, and grows thence taperwise, in the manner of a fox's tail. Comets were supposed to prognosticate events to come. They appear to be borne in coat-armour, of which the aforesaid author gives us an instance; thus, Azure, a comet, streaming in bend, or; name, Cartwright.

COMPARTMENTS. See PARTITIONS.

COMPLEMENT. A term used to signify the moon at her full; the technical mode of blazonry being, "the moon in her complement."

COMPONY, is when a border, pale, bend, or other ordinary, is made up of small squares, consisting of two metals, or colours, in one row alternately. See Pl. v., n. 14.

COMPONY and COUNTER-COMPONY, or COUNTER-COMPONY only, the same when in two rows.

CONEY, a rabbit.

CONFRONTÉ, facing or fronting one another; a term used by the French heralds as synonymous with com

batant.

CONGER-EEL'S HEAD, couped, borne on a pale; name, Gascoigne. Pl. xxxvii., n. 15.

CONJOINED, OF CONJUNCT, signifies charges in arnis

when joined together; viz., gules, two lions rampant, conjoined under one head, gardant, argent; name, Kellum. See Pl. XXXII., n. 22. Seven mascles conjunct, three, three and one. Pl. xxxiv., n. 32.

CONJOINED IN LURE is two wings joined together, with their tips downwards; as the example, Pl. x., n. 2. CONTOURNÉ, a French term applied to animals turned to the sinister side of the shield. Pl. xxxii., n. 23.

CONTRE signifies counter or opposite.

CONTREPOINT is when two chevrons meet in the fess points, the one rising from the base, the other inverted, falling from the chief, so that they are counter or opposite to one another. See Pl. xxxviii., n. 17.

CONTRETREVIS, an ancient term for party per fess.
CORSLET. See CUIRASS.

COOTE, a small water-fowl, of the duck tribe, with a sharp-pointed beak, and its plumage all black, except at the top of the head. See Pl. xxvi., n. 17.

COPPER. An instrument used by gold and silver wire-drawers to wind wire upon, and borne by them as part of their armorial ensign. Pl. xxiv., n. 2.

COPPER CAKE. See Pl. XXXVI., n. 6.

Ermine, three copper cakes gules, and on a chief gules, a chamber proper ;

name, Chambers, of London, Esq.

CORBIE, an heraldic term for a raven.

CORDED, signifies wound about with cords, as the example, Pl. xxxvii., n. 6.

CORMORANT. A sharp-billed bird, in other respects much resembling a goose. See Pl. xxxïïï., n. 16. CORNET, a musical instrument. Pl. xxx., n. 23. CORNISH CHOUGH is a fine blue or purple black bird, with red beak and legs. Pl. xxxi., n. 17.

CORNUCOPIA, or Horn of Plenty, filled with fruits,

corn, &c., an emblem generally placed in the hands of the figures of Plenty and Liberality.

CORONET (Ital. coronetta, the diminutive of corona, a crown), when not otherwise described, is always understood to be a ducal one. For the coronets worn by the several degrees of nobility in England, &c., see CROWNS and CORONETS; and for Coronets mural, naval, &c., see MURAL, NAVAL, &c.

COST, or COTICE, is one of the diminutives of the bend, seldom borne but in couples with a bend between them. Pl. iv., n. 8.

COTICED, OF COTISED, anything that is accosted, sided, or accompanied by another. See Pl. xi., n. 20. Argent, on a bend gules, coticed sable, three pair of wings conjoined of the first; name, Wingfield.

COTICE. A term used by the French when an escutcheon is divided bendwise into many equal parts. See BENDY.

COTTON-HANK, Pl. XLI., n. 6. Azure, a chevron between three cotton hanks, argent; name, Cotton.

COUNTERCHANGED is an intermixture of several metals and colours one against another. See an example, Pl. xi., n. 15. Quarterly or and azure, a cross of four lozenges between as many annulets, counterchanged; name, Peacock. Likewise see the examples in Pl. xxxviii., n. 19, 20, and 22.

COUNTER-COMPONÉ, composed of small squares, but never above two rows. Pl. v., n. 14.

COUNTER-EMBOWED, a dexter arm, couped at the shoulder, counter-embowed. Pl. XL., n. 19.

COUNTER-IMBATTLED. See the example, Pl. xL., n. 5. Amure, a fess counter-imbattled, argent; name, Garnas, of Sussex.

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